The hardcore punk scene in recent years is beginning to grow as popular as it was in the 80’s and 90’s. Boston’s The Rival Mob are are just one example of a number of bands that have started up in recent years with heavy influence from early hardcore bands such as Chain of Strength, Insted and Youth of Today. The Rival Mob are back with their second LP ‘Mob Justice’ after releasing their first full length ‘Raw Life’ in 2009 and their ‘Hardcore For Hardcore’ EP in 2010.
‘Intro Grunt’ works as the perfect introduction for a hardcore album, slick guitar riffs and a slow drum beat, the album jumps into life with the explosion of the fast drum beats in the second track ‘Mob Justice’ supported by another memorable guitar riff and ultra aggressive vocals. ‘It Must Be Nice...’ has the same nature as the previous track, fast and furious with very sincere lyrics.
‘Boot Party’ begins with another memorable riff, this track may not be as fast and hard hitting as previous but is extremely catchy to the ear thanks to the occasional gang shout of ‘Boot Party’. The vocals are again impressive and remain potent. ‘Life or Death’ - one of my favorites on the album begins with a vocal outburst of ‘Life or fucking death’ which sets the aggression for the song, again the instrumentation remains tight and coincides with the pissed off attitude of the vocals.
‘Fake Big’ is another breakout of anger, I imagine this track will work well with fans of hardcore, and should send crowds into a frenzy at their shows.The lyrics ‘Z list celebrity. Talk of the town,riding the wave until you drown’ would seem as if the band are aiming the track towards celebrities. ‘Be Somebody’ again goes back to the style of the first couple of tracks on the LP, fast and ferocious instrumentation, again Brendan Radigan’s vocals are imperative in delivering the perfect level of aggression.
‘Friendly Freaks’ has repeated gang vocals, consistent instrumentation and is one of the most catchiest tracks on the album. This catchy style of hardcore is what has worked so well for bands like Rotting Out and Cold World. ‘The Brutes Of Force’ repeats the gang vocals and slick guitar riffs that are present throughout Mob Justice; the bridge provides time for Brendan to get his breath back and launch a final outburst to end the track.
‘Self-Esteem’ tells anyone simply not to fuck with The Rival Mob’s self-esteem. It is probably the most impactful song on the album, short sharp and powerful, this is my favorite track on the album simply because of it’s resemblance to early hardcore punk bands. ‘Cheapo Grosso’ is another short punchy track with gang vocals; the bass is very present in this track which provides the listener with something new. The album ends with the longest track ‘Thought Control’ begins with a fast guitar riff and flowing bass line which both link perfectly with the vocals and gang shouts, a factor which has made the album so enjoyable to listen to. The tracks ends with much darker vocals and a low bass tone similar to likes of Naysayer and Weekend Nachos, it’s a perfect ending to a spectacular album.
There are a number of positive adjectives that could be used to describe this album. ‘Mob Justice’ will be and will remain popular within any hardcore scene in America, this may prove to be one of the best releases of the year. I also hope The Rival Mob take a trip to the UK soon.
